[ He's set Ray off. He's aware distinctly that he's set Ray off crying again the moment his partner's hand falls on his shoulder, and then Ray is sobbing loud enough for Fraser to hear it, and it becomes a sad and ridiculous thing, like watching a clown break down in tears. He wasn't sure any more whether to laugh or cry, so he ended up doing both almost as Ray did. Two grown men hiding behind a church, sobbing their eyes out. The effort was almost suffocating, but somehow it felt remarkably good too, like somehow they were joined even stronger in kinship by the experience.
Because wasn't that what partners were for?
Maybe it wouldn't be the same if Vecchio hadn't been his former partner and Stella hadn't been Ray's former wife. If one of them had been a stranger, then it wouldn't mean so much as it did; but in many ways their marrying was an underlining under everything that had come before. There was no risk of Vecchio wanting to be Fraser's partner again, jeopardizing his relationship with Ray; nor was there any risk of Stella remarrying her former husband. It was over, done, bada bing, bada boom.
It was dumb, and Fraser was smiling back at Ray through still enormous tears, suddenly almost ridiculously cheerfully, because Ray was talking his language. Out, away, gone. And he closed the distance and wrapped his arms around him and hugged him just as hard as he could, thumping Ray so hard between the shoulders he felt his ribcage echo against his own. But that was good; that was the way Ray had hugged him that first time they'd ever met--albeit without Fraser digging his wet chin into Ray's neck.
All his stupid, self obsessed, melancholy thoughts had evaporated. Ray was back to being his partner, and of course he loved him, but he always had, and it didn't change much of anything--didn't change anything, and this was the way back to the hotel, wasn't it? Alright then.
With his arm still slung across the other man's shoulder, practically guiding him the way that Ray had walked him back through the police station that first day, he spoke in a moody voice stained with tears, trying to get his bearings back, but most importantly, to remind Ray of exactly where he was coming from.
And he was smiling. He never stopped smiling. ]
Take a look back through history, Ray, and what do you see? Duets. Partners. Lennon and McCartner, Leopold and Loeb-- [ He kept his eyes tracked on Ray's neck as he frogmarched him back toward the hotel, and waited for him to finish the lineup. ]
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Because wasn't that what partners were for?
Maybe it wouldn't be the same if Vecchio hadn't been his former partner and Stella hadn't been Ray's former wife. If one of them had been a stranger, then it wouldn't mean so much as it did; but in many ways their marrying was an underlining under everything that had come before. There was no risk of Vecchio wanting to be Fraser's partner again, jeopardizing his relationship with Ray; nor was there any risk of Stella remarrying her former husband. It was over, done, bada bing, bada boom.
It was dumb, and Fraser was smiling back at Ray through still enormous tears, suddenly almost ridiculously cheerfully, because Ray was talking his language. Out, away, gone. And he closed the distance and wrapped his arms around him and hugged him just as hard as he could, thumping Ray so hard between the shoulders he felt his ribcage echo against his own. But that was good; that was the way Ray had hugged him that first time they'd ever met--albeit without Fraser digging his wet chin into Ray's neck.
All his stupid, self obsessed, melancholy thoughts had evaporated. Ray was back to being his partner, and of course he loved him, but he always had, and it didn't change much of anything--didn't change anything, and this was the way back to the hotel, wasn't it? Alright then.
With his arm still slung across the other man's shoulder, practically guiding him the way that Ray had walked him back through the police station that first day, he spoke in a moody voice stained with tears, trying to get his bearings back, but most importantly, to remind Ray of exactly where he was coming from.
And he was smiling. He never stopped smiling. ]
Take a look back through history, Ray, and what do you see? Duets. Partners. Lennon and McCartner, Leopold and Loeb-- [ He kept his eyes tracked on Ray's neck as he frogmarched him back toward the hotel, and waited for him to finish the lineup. ]